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Title Estimating the incidence of rape and sexual assault / Candace Kruttschnitt, William D. Kalsbeek, Carol C. House, editors ; Panel on Measuring Rape and Sexual Assault in Bureau of Justice Statistics Household Surveys, Committee on National Statistics, Division on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council of the National Academies
Published Washington, D.C. : National Academies Press, [2014]
©2014

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Description 1 online resource (1 PDF file (xiii, [263] pages))
Contents Summary -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Legal Definitions and Context -- 3 Data from Law Enforcement Agencies -- 4 National Crime Victimization Survey -- 5 Selected Other Surveys on Rape and Sexual Assault -- 6 Comparison of Rape and Sexual Assault Across Data Sources -- 7. Potential Sources of Error in the NCVS: Sampling, Frame, and Processing -- 8 Potential Sources of Errors: Nonresponse, Specification, and Measurement -- 9 Synopsis of Potential Errors in the National Crime Victimization Survey -- 10 New Directions for Measuring Rape and Sexual Assault -- Appendices
Summary The Bureau of Justice Statistics' (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) measures the rates at which Americans are victims of crimes, including rape and sexual assault, but there is concern that rape and sexual assault are undercounted on this survey. BJS asked the National Research Council to investigate this issue and recommend best practices for measuring rape and sexual assault on their household surveys. Estimating the Incidence of Rape and Sexual Assault concludes that it is likely that the NCVS is undercounting rape and sexual assault. The most accurate counts of rape and sexual assault cannot be achieved without measuring them separately from other victimizations, the report says. It recommends that BJS develop a separate survey for measuring rape and sexual assault. The new survey should more precisely define ambiguous words such as "rape," give more privacy to respondents, and take other steps that would improve the accuracy of responses. Estimating the Incidence of Rape and Sexual Assault takes a fresh look at the problem of measuring incidents of rape and sexual assault from the criminal justice perspective. This report examines issues such as the legal definitions in use by the states for these crimes, best methods for representing the definitions in survey instruments so that their meaning is clear to respondents, and best methods for obtaining as complete reporting as possible of these crimes in surveys, including methods whereby respondents may report anonymously. Rape and sexual assault are among the most injurious crimes a person can inflict on another. The effects are devastating, extending beyond the initial victimization to consequences such as unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, sleep and eating disorders, and other emotional and physical problems. Understanding the frequency and context under which rape and sexual assault are committed is vital in directing resources for law enforcement and support for victims. These data can influence public health and mental health policies and help identify interventions that will reduce the risk of future attacks. Sadly, accurate information about the extent of sexual assault and rape is difficult to obtain because most of these crimes go unreported to police. Estimating the Incidence of Rape and Sexual Assault focuses on methodology and vehicles used to measure rape and sexual assaults, reviews potential sources of error within the NCVS survey, and assesses the training and monitoring of interviewers in an effort to improve reporting of these crimes
Notes Title from PDF title page
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references
Notes This study was supported by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, via grant number SES-1024012 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation. Support for the work of the Committee on National Statistics is provided by a consortium of federal agencies through a grant from the National Science Foundation (grant number SES-1024012). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project
Version viewed August 26, 2014
Subject National Crime Victimization Survey (U.S.)
SUBJECT National Crime Victimization Survey (U.S.)
National Crime Victimization Survey (U.S.) fast
Subject Criminal statistics -- United States -- Evaluation
Rape -- Research -- United States
Sex crimes -- Research -- United States
Rape.
Sex crimes.
Statistics -- Methodology
Rape
Sex Offenses
Data Collection
SOCIAL SCIENCE -- Criminology.
Sex crimes
Rape
Criminal statistics -- Evaluation
Rape -- Research
Sex crimes -- Research
SUBJECT United States https://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D014481
Subject United States
Genre/Form Statistics
Statistics.
Statistiques.
Form Electronic book
Author Kruttschnitt, Candace, editor
Kalsbeek, William D., 1946- editor.
House, Carol C., editor
National Research Council (U.S.). Panel on Measuring Rape and Sexual Assault in Bureau of Justice Statistics Household Surveys, author.
ISBN 9780309297370
0309297370
9780309297387
0309297389